Description

Set 1

Promised Land, Sugaree, Minglewood Blues, Scarlet Begonias, Looks Like Rain, They Love Each Other, Mama Tried, Ship of Fools, Playin' In The Band-> Drums-> The Wheel-> Playin' In The Band

Set 2

Brown Eyed Women, Samson & Delilah, Friend Of The Devil, Let It Grow-> Eyes Of The World-> Wharf Rat-> The Other One-> The Music Never Stopped, E: Johnny B. Goode

Individual Files

Write a review
Downloaded 560 times Reviews
Average Rating:

Reviewer: Norman Clegg - - April 20, 2013
Subject: Inspired, hi-energy show with a STARTLING setlist!
1976 was THE year of setlist surprises and this show may be King Of Them All in that respect, as both sets feature plenty of unexpectedly-placed songs....

Right out of the gate, the band is rarin' to go, the playing tight, energetic and inspired. The set highlights for me are the superb reading of LLRAIN and, of course, the PLAYIN' > Drums > THE WHEEL> Meltdown Space > PLAYIN'. A truly engaging, inspired set with a great list, including a rare early-1st-set SCARLET and an equally-rare mid-1st-set SHIP OF FOOLS!

The 2nd set picks up where the 1st left off: the surprise opening of B-E WOMEN > SAMSON lets us know that the fun & inspiration of the 1st set was no fluke. LET IT GROW is a major show highlight; I absolutely love Weir & Donna's chuckling at the lyric mistake. The middle jam features a differently-colored, extremely-satisfying return to the "What shall we say" closing verse.

The short, whispering closing jam transforms into a speedier-than-I-like EYES, but Eyes itself is an engaging, exciting reading. There's virtually no outro-jam but it quickly gives way to a lovely two-minute Garcia-lead prelude into a sturdy, satisfying WHARF RAT. Whaaaaat?!? Yes, indeed.

A fine Rat outro-jam trickles, stunningly, into a completely unexpected (one-verse) THE OTHER ONE, featuring a long, wonderful pre-lyric jam.

If you think GROW > EYES > RAT > O1 was a surprise, the icing on the cake (and my candidate for the BIGGEST setlist surprise of the year) goes to the flawless transition from TO1 into THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED. Although without major fireworks during the crescendo, it's a muscular, satisfying version.....and you can clearly hear the excitment & inspiration of the band flowing effortlessly!!

The JBGOODE encore is a well-played but anti-climactic close to a surprising, superbly-played show!!

4 stars for the playing and 4 stars for the excellent AUD recording.


MAJOR thanks for the post! NOW: who's got 9-23-76?!? It's the LAST show I need to complete my 1976 CD collection....!!!

I've got 5,000 hours on CD to trade. Email me at clegg AT supernet DOT COM. Include the phrase "Grateful Dead 9-23-76" in the "subject" line.....

THANKS

Notes

Notes:
-- All disc changes are seamless